1 Type of Question
Task-oriented Question that should result in a number of new Recommendations.
2 Motivation
In their conversion to digital television, cable television
systems in many countries are also provisioning very high-speed
bidirectional data facilities intended to support, among other
payloads, those utilizing Internet Protocols (IP). These
facilities can also be used to supply other digital services to
the home, based on packet-data, exploiting the broadband
capacity provided by hybrid fibre/coaxial (HFC) digital cable
television systems, and interconnecting local, geographically
distinct digital cable television systems through direct
connections or managed backbones.
The envisaged range of packet-based data services to be
provided encompasses those services and applications that are
based on the use of IP. It also encompasses among others,
digital bidirectional (interactive) television and sound-programme
cablecasting, advanced interactive television, sound-programme
and multimedia services, video conference and video telephony
down to the emulation of some services that are now normally
provided over the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
The technology considered for the delivery of those
packet-based data services over the cable television
infrastructure resorts to the use of the relevant transmission
protocols, including Internet Protocols (IP) and enhancements
thereof.
The peculiarities common to the range of services to be
provided are:
- the use of modern hybrid bidirectional fibre/coax
television cable networks;
- the use of the transmission methods specified for
those networks (see Recommendation J.83);
- the use of the architecture and modems specified for
those networks (see Recommendation J.111);
- compliance with the specifications and QoS peculiar
to those networks;
- capability for real time (low latency) operation for
interactive services that require it;
- interoperability with relevant transmission protocols
for packet-based data, notably IP protocols;
- a performance level that is equal to or better than
the one provided by the PSTN, for telephone-type services.
3 Questions
- What are the services that could desirably be
provided over the digital cable television infrastructure,
by means of packet-based data transmission?
- What are the functionalities that each service
should be capable to provide in order to meet its service
requirements?
- Which open protocols can be used for the envisaged
services, preferably choosing them among those already
recommended for packet-based data by other bodies, or
identifying the need for appropriate enhancements to them,
paying attention to their desirable interoperability with
Internet protocols?
- Which specification should be recommended for the
mechanisms to be provided for each considered service, in
order to allow its future extension to further
functionalities?
In particular, for those services and applications that utilize Internet Protocols,
the following specific Questions should be studied:
- Which user requirements apply to the provision of
digital services that support applications utilizing
Internet Protocols (IP) and operate over bidirectional cable
television systems?
- Which digital interfaces are needed to support
applications utilizing Internet Protocols over cable
television systems?
- Which systems implications for cable television
systems derive from the requirement that they should be able
to support digital services and applications that utilize
Internet Protocols?
4 Expected results and anticipated dates
The results of the study should be used for the preparation
of new Recommendations, that will eventually fully specify the
open protocols recommended for use in the secondary distribution
of the desired IP-based and/or packet-based data services and
applications via the digital cable television infrastructure.
The studies should result in a set of Recommendations by the
end of the year 2003.
5 Relationships
Cooperation in the study of this Question should be
established with at least Study Groups 13, 15 and 16; the
studies should preferably be performed in a Joint Rapporteur
Group that would report to Study Group 9 and would enjoy the
active participation of experts from the other study groups.
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